Operator seat for an industrial vehicle

ABSTRACT

An operator seat on an industrial vehicle provides a recess in the seat back for receiving a safety harness or buckle. This allows an operator to comfortably sit in the operator seat while at that same time being attached to the safety harness. In one embodiment, the seat back may include piping that extends from or around the recess to further improve operator ergonomics.

This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application 60/671,550, filed Apr. 14, 2005, and herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

Workers are commonly harnessed to safety straps, for example, while working high above the ground. In some situations the worker may sit in a chair and operate a vehicle while being harnessed to the safety strap. Unfortunately, the harness can be very uncomfortable and awkward to wear while sitting in the vehicle chair. The present invention addresses this and other problems associated with the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An operator seat on an industrial vehicle provides a recess in the seat back for receiving a safety harness or buckle. This allows an operator to comfortably sit in the operator seat while at that same time being attached to the safety harness. In one embodiment, the seat back may include piping that extends from or around the recess to further improve operator ergonomics.

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an industrial vehicle seat designed to be used while an operator is attached to a safety strap.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the seat shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the seat shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the seat with an operator attached to a safety strap.

FIG. 5 shows the operator sitting back in the seat while still attached to the safety strap.

FIG. 6 is a top view showing the safety strap contained in a recess in the seat back.

FIG. 7 is a side view of an embodiment of a folding seat in an upright folded position.

FIG. 8 is a top view of the folding seat shown in FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 show a vehicle seat 12 that includes both a bottom seat 18 and a seat back 14. The covering for the seat 12 may be made out of fabric, leather, plastic, vinyl, or any type of material. The bottom seat 18 includes channels alternatively referred to as piping 20. The piping 20 includes separate fingers 20A, 20B, and 20C that all extend forward and then outward from a back end of bottom seat 18.

Of particular interest is a recess 15 that extends vertically through the seat back 14. The recess 15 is alternatively referred to as a channel, groove, etc. The recess 15 can be any length, width, and depth, but in one embodiment is sized to contain a safety apparatus 40 (FIG. 4) that connects a vehicle operator to the vehicle.

The seat back 14 has a substantially flat central surface area 19 (FIG. 2) that contains the recess 15. Rounded sides 17A and 17B then extend partially forward from the flat surface area 19. The seat back 14 and bottom seat 18 include a cushioning material, such as foam, that is contained within the seat covering material. The recess 15 is formed in the covering material and extends at least partially into the cushioning material.

In one embodiment, the recess 15 extends substantially along most of the height of the seat back 14, around 1.5 feet, and has a width of approximately between 4 to 6 inches. The depth of recess 15 can vary at different vertical positions in the seat back 14 and in one example may be around 6 inches at the deepest portion at the lower end of seat back 14. The depth of recess 15 may be relatively deep towards the bottom of seat back 14 and may become shallower or taper towards the top of seat back 14. Of course this is only one example, and as mentioned above, the length, width, and depth of recess 15 can vary according to the type of safety device that needs to sit within the seat back 14.

In one embodiment, piping 16A and 16B extend outward from the lateral sides of recess 15 towards opposite sides of the seat back 14. Other piping 16C extends from a first side of the seat back 14, around a bottom end of channel 15 and to an opposite end of the seat back 14. The piping 16 provides air circulation both into and out of the channel 15 and through other locations of the back seat 14. The piping 16 and 20 can be any length, width and depth, but in one embodiment may be around one inch wide and about 0.5 to 1.0 inches deep. The recess 15 in combination with piping 16 has the unexpected advantage of increasing ventilation along the height of the seat back 14 while at the same time providing support along the entire length of the operator's back regardless of whether or not the operator 30 (FIG. 5) is using the safety apparatus 40.

The pre-formed piping 20 in the bottom seat 18, and piping 16 in the seat back 14, is also alternatively referred to as channels and provide greater operator comfort by allowing the seat surface to be more flexible and resilient as the operator compresses and decompresses the seat and as the operator moves in various directions during operation of the vehicle. The piping 16 and 20 also significantly increase breathability and comfort by reducing the overall surface contact with the operator and providing air channels to carry away operator sweat.

FIG. 4 shows a first operator position where an operator 30 is sitting forward on bottom seat 18 and is connected to safety apparatus 40. The safety apparatus 40 includes a tether 32 having one end connected to a vehicle (not shown) such as a lift truck that is driven or operated by operator 30. The operator 30 may be connected to an opposite end of the tether 32 either with a waist belt 34 or a full body harness. The harness 34 is placed about the body of the operator 30 and is then connected to a bottom end of the tether 32 by means of a D-ring 37, or some other rigid connecting device. The bottom end of tether 32 may include a clamp 38 that connects with a harness ring 36 via D-ring 37. Connecting to tether 32 improves safety by holding the operator 30 to the vehicle when the vehicle is in an elevated position.

Safety apparatus 40 includes D-ring 37, harness ring 36, clamp 38, harness 34 and tether 32 and is bulky and typically uncomfortable when the operator 30 sits down. For example, it could be painful for the operator 30 to lean back against a conventional seat back while attached to safety apparatus 40. To prevent this discomfort, the operator 30 may sit in the forward position shown in FIG. 4. However, this sitting position can also be uncomfortable and may increase operator fatigue.

FIG. 5 shows how the recess 15 allows the operator 30 to lean back in chair 12 without the discomfort of leaning directly against the safety apparatus 40. As the operator 30 leans back, the safety apparatus 40 is received and contained within the recess 15. At the same time, the back of operator 30 is supported by the sides 17A and 17B (FIG. 1) of seat back 14. Thus, the recess 15 contains the safety apparatus 40 while the operator 30 sits more comfortably in seat 12.

FIG. 6 shows a top view of the seat 12 while the safety apparatus 40 is contained within the recess 15. As mentioned above, the shape and size of the recess 15 can be adapted to whatever type of safety apparatus is used to connect the operator 30 to the vehicle. In one example, the seat 12 may be designed to let the safety apparatus 40 sit loosely in recess 15. Alternatively, the seat 12 may be designed so that the safety apparatus 40 is snugly retained in recess 15. For example, the recess 15 may be just as deep as shown in FIG. 6, but may be narrower in width. This would allow the side walls of the recess 15 to snugly press against the opposite sides of the safety apparatus 40 keeping the safety apparatus 40 from freely swinging around in recess 15. This may also provide the additional advantage of providing more surface area on the seat back 14 for supporting the back of operator 30.

The recess 15 may also have the benefit of providing longer wear for the seat 12 by reducing scuffing between the safety device 40 and the covering of seat back 14. In one embodiment, the material used in recess 15 may be made out of a more rugged material than the material used to cover the rest of seat 12. For example, the material in recess 15 may be made of an industrial rubber material such as the type used for tires or wheel mud flaps. Alternatively, the material in recess 15 could be made of a rugged leather material or possibly a metal material that is sewn into the material used for the rest of chair 12. Keep in mind that the back of the operator 30 typically will not rest against the inside walls of recess 15. Therefore, a more rugged and possibly less pliable or soft material can be used in recess 15.

In yet another embodiment, the recess 15 may extend through the entire seat back 14. In this embodiment, the two sides 17A and 17B may be connected together with metal bars that extend through the back side of seat back 14. A space between the two sides 17A and 17B operates as the recess for containing the safety apparatus 40. This would have the advantage of additional ventilation and provide further space for containing the safety apparatus 40.

In a further embodiment, a back support cushion including the recess 15 may be provided. The back support cushion may be similar to the seat back 14 without a bottom seat 18 attached. In this embodiment, the operator 30 may lean against the back support while standing in an operator cabin, wherein the safety apparatus 40 otherwise rests in the recess 15 as previously described. The back support cushion may be repositionable in a vertical direction to compensate for a difference in operator height.

FIGS. 7 and 8 show a side and top view of a folding seat 50 in an upright folded position. A second recess 52 may be provided on the underside of a bottom seat 54 of folding seat 50 that may be folded against a top seat 56. The recess 15 included in the underside of the bottom seat 54 may similarly retain the safety apparatus 40 when the operator 30 (FIG. 5) is standing and leaning against the underside of the bottom seat 54 in the upright folded position. A first recess 58 may be included in the seat back 56, in the underside of the bottom seat 54, or in both the seat back 56 and the underside of the bottom seat 54. A seat height may be repositionable in a vertical direction to compensate for a change in height of the safety apparatus with the operator 30 in a seated or standing position, for example.

Having described and illustrated the principles of the invention in a preferred embodiment thereof, it should be apparent that the invention may be modified in arrangement and detail without departing from such principles. I claim all modifications and variation coming within the spirit and scope of the following claims. 

1. A seat for an industrial vehicle, comprising: a bottom seat; and a seat back including a recess that contains a safety apparatus when the operator leans back against the seat back, the safety apparatus attaching an operator of the industrial vehicle to the industrial vehicle.
 2. The seat according to claim 1 wherein the recess extends vertically along the seat back and is sized to receive a harness coupler that extends from the back of the operator, a clamp that attaches to the harness coupler, and a tether that extends up from the clamp.
 3. The chair according to claim 1 including piping that extends laterally out from the sides of the recess.
 4. The chair according to claim 3 including additional piping that extends around a bottom end of the recess.
 5. The chair according to claim 1 wherein the recess is approximately around 1.5 to 2 feet long, six inches wide, and has a depth of approximately six inches at a bottom end that get shallower toward a top end.
 6. The chair according to claim 1 wherein the seat back has a substantially flat surface area in a center location that contains the recess and rounded sides that extend partially forward from the sides of the center location.
 7. A safety system for a lift truck, comprising: a harness that attaches to an operator that operates the lift truck and includes a connector; a tether that attaches at a first end to the lift truck and attaches at a second end to the harness connector; and an operator cushion located on the lift truck that includes a recess sized and shaped to receive the harness connector and the tether when the operator sits back or leans against the cushion.
 8. The safety system according to clam 7 wherein the harness connector extends from the harness at a back location of the operator and the tether extends upward from the harness connector to a location above the cushion.
 9. The safety system according to claim 8 wherein the recess is vertically elongated along a central axis of the cushion and is sized to contain both the harness connector, the tether and a clamp that connects the tether to the harness connector.
 10. The harness system according to claim 9 including piping that extends laterally from sides of the recess toward opposite sides of the cushion.
 11. The harness system according to claim 10 including other piping that extends from one side of the cushion, around a bottom end of the recess, and toward an opposite side of the cushion.
 12. The harness system according to claim 7 including a bottom seat attached to the cushion.
 13. The harness system according to claim 12 including a second recess located on an underside of the bottom seat sized and shaped to receive the harness connector and the tether when the bottom seat is in an upright folded position.
 14. The harness system according to claim 7 wherein a height of the cushion is adjustable in a vertical direction.
 15. A vehicle seat, comprising: a bottom seat; and a seat back including a cushioning material contained within a seat covering material, the seat back including a vertically elongated channel formed in the covering material and extending partially into the cushioning material along a central length of the seat back.
 16. The vehicle seat according to claim 15 including smaller channels that extend laterally from the vertically elongated channel toward sides of the seat back.
 17. The vehicle seat according to claim 15 including another smaller channel that extends from one side of the seat back, around a bottom end of the vertically elongated channel and toward an opposite side of the seat back.
 18. The vehicle seat according to claim 15 wherein the vertically elongated channel is sized to extend partially around opposite sides of safety apparatus that extend from a back side of a vehicle operator and connect the vehicle operator to a vehicle.
 19. The vehicle seat according to claim 18 wherein the vertically elongated channel is sized to receive a harness connector that extends from a back side of the vehicle operator, a clamp that connects to the harness connector, and a tether that is connected at one end to the clamp and extends vertically upward and is connected at a second end to the vehicle.
 20. The vehicle seat according to claim 15 wherein the seat back has a substantially flat surface along a vertically elongated central area that contains the vertically elongated channel and has rounded sides that curve forward from opposite sides of the substantially flat central area. 